How I Train Chief Reminding Officers: Part III— Recognition
Effective praise has an expiration date.
NOTE: This article is part of my series on the “Chief Reminding Officer,” a concept inspired by Pat Lencioni’s ideas in The Advantage.
I love the movie Whiplash.
Why? I love to hate JK Simmons as the manipulative music instructor Terence Fletcher. In a rare moment of quasi-vulnerability halfway through the film, Fletcher hints at his leadership philosophy when he says:
“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’”
I agree with Fletcher.
…Sort of.
I agree high standards (paired with the ability to detect whether those standards have been met) are important. But Fletcher takes it too far. Here’s where he’s wrong. Positive reinforcement not only works — it’s also the most powerful coaching tactic there is.
My previous employer, Bain & Co., built their change management practice on this belief. Bain’s approach to change starts with identifying a handful of “moments of truth” that pre-empt a desired behavior — for example, a specific interaction between a customer and a salesperson. After clarifying the desired behavior and the undesired behavior, Bain works with their clients to “build an ecosystem around each moment of truth in order to encourage people to choose desired behaviors.”
Stripping out the consultant-speak, the advice boils down to this: Make it easier for people to do the right thing. Bain also recommends that teams deliver “authentic feedback” as part of this process. Here’s Bain’s definition of authentic feedback:
- The feedback should be mostly positive — “Ideally, the ratio of positive reinforcement to negative consequences should be about four to one.”
- The feedback should be timely — “It should occur right after the behavior in question.”
- The feedback should be relevant and personal — “When possible, the feedback should be delivered 1:1.”
Want to see what authentic feedback looks like? Look no further than Steve Kerr, a guy with a hell of a track record: He’s won multiple NBA championships as both a player and a coach. Watch how Coach Kerr creates an opportunity to give NBA MVP Steph Curry some in-game encouragement.
There are two supporting techniques at work here.
One is timing. Kerr’s praise is delivered right away, in the moment, with Steph still recovering from his last run up the floor. Curry doesn’t even reach the bench before Kerr intercepts him.
The second technique lives in what Kerr recognizes. It’s not Curry’s stat line. It’s the way he’s playing the game. It’s Curry’s effort and approach, not the outcome, that Kerr praises.
Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research sheds light on why Kerr’s coaching approach works. Dr. Dweck’s oft-cited work focuses on how different recognition styles drive student behavior. Dweck found that students labeled as “smart” before her study began were far less likely to persevere with more challenging tasks. Those same “smart” students also gave up faster than the students who were instead valued and praised not for their inherent intelligence, but for how hard they worked. Students that were recognized for their effort (not “who they were” or how they did) were more resilient and less afraid of failure. They were better at putting themselves out there, taking risks, and, as a result, uncovering opportunities to grow and improve.
Teams that win don’t play scared. Recognizing effort in key moments of truth — whatever the end-result —proves that you trust the process and your team. You believe activities drive outcomes. Do the right things, play the game the right way and, as NFL coach Bill Walsh would say, “the score takes care of itself.”
So pick your spots. Recognize effort. And do it in the moment.
That’s how you to get your team to stay the course — even when the game isn’t going your way.
To read part IV just click here.
Want to steal the template I use to train Chief Reminding Officers? Click here to download the one-pager I use in my work with my leadership teams.
